Timber is an arcade game that was manufactured by Midway Games in 1984. The object of the game is to amass points by chopping down trees or by balancing atop a floating, rotating log.
Gameplay
The player assumes the role of a lumberjack in the game. He or she has a limited amount of time to chop down a given number of trees that sequentially pop up from the ground. The controls consist of two joysticks, with one controlling the player's movement and the other corresponding to left or right chops with the player's axe. Difficulty increases with each level since the number of trees to chop down slightly increases (maxing out at 19) and the allotted time slightly decreases. While playing, the player must avoid beehives that are thrown by bears or lose a life. These beehives, however, can be destroyed with the player's axe for a 500-point reward. Some trees contain birds that will run around the level after they have been chopped down, yielding 1,000 points if touched by the player.
Every couple of levels, the player is given the opportunity to amass bonus points. He or she begins by standing on a floating log. As the log begins to rotate, players must make use of their reflexes to stay on top of the log. The first two times this is played, the log is relatively large; on future attempts, the size of the log shrinks considerably. This minigame ends if the player falls off the log or he or she balances atop it for a certain amount of time (in which case 1,000 bonus points are earned).
The game also features two-player simultaneous multiplayer, and can be played competitively or cooperatively. In this mode, chopping or pushing down a tree such that it falls on the opponent awards you with 1,000 points.
Developed by
Bally Midway Mfg Co.
Released
1984
Platform
Arcade
Published by
Bally Midway Mfg Co.
Perspective
Side view
Genre
Action
Gameplay
Arcade
Visual
Fixed / Flip-screen
Description
You control a logger, who must chop down trees as they spring up. Two indicators appear at the top of the screen; the left tells you how many trees you must chop to clear the level, and the right tells you how much time you have left.
The boss is watching you, so you must chop down the trees quickly; to earn points for each tree, and bonus points for chopping all the trees needed for that level with time remaining. If a bird falls out of a tree you chop down, grabbing the bird before it gets away will earn you bonus points. You must avoid allowing a tree to fall on you; if it does, you will be stunned briefly, using up valuable time. A bear appears at a higher level, who will periodically throw beehives at you that releases bees, which you must avoid. A bonus level features maintaining your balance on a floating log that spins back and forth, which you must balance until the timer runs out to receive additional points.
You may play with a second player simultaneously, where you may either play cooperatively, or competitively. After chopping a tree before it falls (or after the other player chops the tree), it may be pushed down on the other player, instead of letting it fall down, if the player(s) choose to play competitively, The player with the higher tree count receives bonus points, and the other player is subjected to abuse from the boss.
Levels become more difficult as you progress, with additional trees to cut down, and additional time added on the timer. A player loses a life if the logger gets hit by a beehive releasing bees that sting you, or if you fail to chop down all of the trees when the timer runs out (the boss will blow the whistle if this happens). The game is over when you lose all of your loggers.
After every two levels is a bonus round where you must stay on a rolling log as long as possible.
From Mobygames.com. Original Entry
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